Conversations about Iron Man
by raincaster
Summary: Howard Stark has some interesting conversations with people about a certain armored vigilante.
1. General Nick Fury

"Iron Man is quite the character."

General Nick Fury saw Howard Stark turn toward the sound of his voice and nod his head. Howard was about to be on his way home while Fury had just returned with Agent Maria Hill from escorting General Ross to the stockade. He wasn't quite sure what to think of his former weapons supplier. He knew that Howard was an honorable man and a devoted father. Fury could think of three options of why Howard had demanded to know where his son had gone earlier. One was that the father honestly didn't know about his son's vigilantism and was worried about him after General Ross attacked the area. Another was that Howard knew about it all and thought he was protecting his son's secret from SHIELD. The final option- the one Fury found to be the most probable- was that Howard knew about Tony and he knew that SHIELD knew. It was probable that Howard had been testing Fury to see if he would betray Tony's secret. It was a test Fury wanted to make sure to pass.

Now, with the Hulk under control and General Ross out the way, he wanted to make sure that Howard and he had an understanding. Fury had a deep respect for Howard, and he didn't want there to be any misunderstandings when it came to the subject of Iron Man.

"You know, Iron Man isn't the first vigilante in the world. Iron Man certainly won't be the last," Fury continued. "There's a pattern to these 'super' beings and where they stand in the world."

Howard nodded again. "History has shown us that much. But most who call themselves heroes are good people. They tend to be on the reckless side, but they're good people. They mean the best," the father wasn't looking at him now. Instead his gaze was where Iron Man and War Machine had attempted to calm their green adversary.

"They're law breakers though. They may think they fight for the law, but they act outside of the law." Fury waited for a few moments after his statement, carefully observing how Howard reacted. The other man was surprisingly calm. He stiffened at first, but quickly recovered and turned back to face the General.

"Then why haven't you arrested him yet?" he challenged. "Surely with your teams and technology, SHIELD can figure out a way to bring even Iron Man to 'justice'. You know what I think, Nick? I think you have a soft spot for heroes."

"And you don't? If I remember correctly you're quite the Captain America fan."

Howard chuckled a little. "I still have my trading card collection somewhere actually. And Tony told me you had found him still alive…! But never mind that. Back to Iron Man. He's reckless, I know. But he's doing good. There may be a lot that I question or disagree with, but I cannot deny that Iron Man changes and saves lives. What more can we ask for of a hero?"

"I'm afraid I can ask for more." Fury watched as Howard narrowed his brows, blue eyes piercing through. "Our world is changing. There are new threats showing up that I don't know if humankind is ready to face. While I might eventually come to enjoy knowing many of the vigilantes, there is a whole other reason why I let them be. We need them. We need them to fight the battles we never could. I am planning for a team of extraordinary individuals called the Avengers. SHIELD must find a way to awaken the Captain so that he can lead the charge once again. As for Iron Man, when I see that he's ready, I want him fighting by the Captain's side."

"You want to turn him into a soldier," Howard's face had paled and his voice was stiff.

Fury made sure that he was looking right at Howard as he replied. "Iron Man is already a soldier in his own way, Howard."

The father looked away. General Fury's gaze still looked right at him. "A lot has changed in the two years that you've been gone."

"I know."

"And it is not your fault. People make their own decisions."

"I know."

"Do you, Howard?"

"Yes," Howard answered slowly. "The logical part of me knows that the choices Iron Man has made have been his own. They will continue to be his own."

"Good, because if he wasn't needed, Shell Head would be in a jail cell for vigilantism. Not to mention all the collateral damage that he causes to the city in his fights." Fury laid all the facts out there in the open. The man had to hear it from someone. He had to hear the consequences that came from his son's decisions. "And to be blunt, he's still under close watch because he still poses as a possible threat. Anybody with armor full of weaponry is."

"And if Iron Man ever is a threat I'm assuming that it's SHIELD's job to bring him in," Howard stated, meeting the General's gaze once again, a determined expression in his eyes. Fury agreed, "Yes. Yes it is." Fury had seen that determined look in a similar pair of blue eyes before. Father like son he supposed.

"I understand. But I want it understood that if it were ever to come to that, Stark International will not be providing any aid. I will not help-"

"Understood." Indeed Fury did understand. No matter what, Tony was Howard's son. And Tony was Iron Man. Tony was all the man still truly had of his family. The death of his wife had scarred Howard. His son's downfall and destruction, especially if he helped it in anyway, would destroy him.

"But I'm counting on that not to happen." Fury continued. "Iron Man is still a vigilante and a possible threat, but already he has shown that he has the character and reputation of a hero. This world needs its heroes."

"And Iron Man will be there when it does." There was pride in those blue eyes now, fierce and bold. "You can count on that, Nick. Now if you don't mind, I have a son and his friend to check on."

"Just as long as we understand each other."

"I think we do." Getting up, Howard reached out his hand. "Have good day General Fury."

"You too, Mr. Stark." Fury took the man's hand and gave it a firm shake. As Howard Stark walked away Fury added under his breath, "And I wish you and Tony the best of luck. Something tells me you both are going to need it."

**AN: This is just an idea I have had ever since I've finished watching IMAA. Not sure how well I got the characters down, but I just find Howard's portrayal in the series interesting. I imagine he would have some very interesting conversations about Iron Man with people. This particular one takes place towards the end of The Rage of the Hulk. And yes, I did indeed use a couple of Fury's lines (or something similar) from The Avengers (just in case anyone recognized them). **


	2. The Young Woman

**AN: Takes place towards the beginning of The Fall of Hammer.**

After being held prisoner of the Mandarin for two years, Howard Stark was beginning to enjoy the simple things in life again. He was alive and in good health, and he still had his son, Tony. Sure Justin Hammer had control of his company now, but he had his close friend Roberta working on the case. For the moment though, the former CEO of Stark International was just going to relax and adjust to living free again.

Howard was currently sitting on a bench outside, surrounded by the busy city. He idly turned the newspaper pages in his hands. The words held not meaning though at the moment for the man was in too deep in his own thoughts. His son was late. He had told Tony to meet him at noon and they would go out to lunch and talk. Tony's tardiness was new to Howard, but the father supposed that flying around in a giant tin can and fighting crime could make a person lose track of time.

Oh he knew alright. Howard Stark was not an idiot. One did not build a multibillion dollar business by being an idiot after all. He knew his son was Iron Man. No one but Tony could have built that armor. Not to mention that anyone else would've sold the armor off to the military. Not Tony, how many times had he heard from his father that technology should be used to help people, not harm them? Howard had never meant it to mean to use technology to become a famous armored vigilante, though he supposed it was all in the interpretation.

His son had been so excited that day of the crash. His smile had almost reached his eyes, a rare occurrence since his mother's death nine years prior. As a parent, Howard was excited just because his child was excited. As a fellow inventor, Howard has been genuinely curious about what Tony had most recently built. Tony's inventions were always a source of pride for Howard; they were sheer genius and his son's own hard work.

Now, Howard realized that it had been the Iron Man armor. He didn't exactly know how to feel about it either. What if Mandarin had never crashed the plane? Would Iron Man still have been created? Or would the armor be like the rest of Tony's inventions: build, discuss, and move on. The truth was Iron Man had been forged by the flames of that plane crash. So it wasn't entirely the armor's fault that Howard wasn't sure how to interact with his own son anymore. In fact, it was thanks to the armor that Howard still even had Tony at all. How else could Tony have survived that crash? Their separation had lasted two years, but they were now finally together (again, thanks to the armor).

The problem was so much had changed, especially due to the armor, that Howard didn't know his son anymore. In the week or so Howard had been back, he observed that Tony went out of the house and didn't come home until early morning the next day. He observed that his son lied multiple times to cover his actual activities. Tony still worked in a lab, but he rarely, if ever, talked about what he was building with Howard. Evil geniuses and powerful thugs wanted to kill him. He fought them with armor full ofweapons. He acted reckless and caused just about as much collateral damage to the city as the villains he fought. Tony rarely seemed to get sleep, but when he did, nightmares and night terrors haunted him. Howard at times could see in his child's eyes a look that was far too old and far too tired for any teenager to have.

The armor, along with the Mandarin, was an easy target to blame for all of this. It was easier to blame that then his own obsession with those rings which led to Mandarin kidnapping him and crashing the plane, which in turn caused Tony to be Iron Man. When Howard allowed that train of thought, he felt himself slowly start to break. His fault, all his fault. Only if he hadn't found that ring!

_Oh Maria, I'm so sorry. I don't even know our own child anymore and it's all my fault!_

"Mr. Stark?! Oh my God, it's you… um… welcome back!" a female voice jerked him out of his thoughts. Looking up from where he sat, Howard saw a young woman staring, star- struck, at him. Giving her a slight nod in acknowledgement, Howard said a quick thank you. He then raised the newspaper to his face as if he went back to reading. Newspapers made good shields against socializing. Sadly it didn't work on this woman.

"You mind if I join you? I usually sit here during my lunch breaks. It's a good spot if you want to see Iron Man flying on patrol…"

"_Iron Man" better be on his way to meet me and not flying around on patrol…_ Howard thought to himself. Out loud, he sighed and lowered the newspaper. "Of course you may sit here. It's a public bench. But please, I'm not in the mood to converse."

The woman looked slightly abashed. "Oh… sorry. I'll be quiet."

Howard returned to pretending to read the newspaper. The woman sat down and tilted her head up towards the sky. This went on a few moments until he realized he no longer could focus on his own thoughts of guilt and frustration. Unconsciously, Howard put the newspaper down and followed the woman's gaze and stared at the same spot. It was a nice day; it was bright and sunny with hardly a cloud in sight. However, he doubted she was there just to observe the sky…

"So how long have you come here to see Iron Man?" _Did I really just ask that?_ Howard thought as the question rolled off his tongue. _That's about the last subject I want to think about right now._ But he couldn't help it. He really hadn't talked to people about his son's alter ego and what they thought about it.

The woman quickly turned her head to look and him. Her face turned a little pink. "Honestly it's been awhile... I just see him fly by and it makes me happy." Her face was now red. "He saved me you know. I was driving in my car when this train car comes flying off the rail and into the intersection we were at. I braced myself, but nothing happened it seemed. I look up at where the car had come off and Iron Man was _there_ holding it up, protecting us. Then my mother was at this bank when it got robbed by a bunch of guys in strange yellow hazmat suits and they held her and the others hostage and Iron Man comes and saves them. Later, my grandpa told me Iron Man helped him find his own strength to fight for his home that this mean business guy wanted to tear down…He's a hero!"

Howard blinked, taking all that she had said in. "Oh…"

"I sound like a shy school girl with a crush, don't I? Sorry, I know you said you weren't in the mood to talk."

"I asked the question," Howard replied back. "So it's fine."

"I've met other people who have their spots where they wait to catch a glimpse of him. It's just amazing that someone chooses to do that, you know? Be brave and rescue the everyday person. It's inspiring."

"When you put it that way, yes it is."

"Didn't Iron Man save you, Mr. Stark?"

_Tony was the only reason why I kept my sanity when Maria died. Seeing him again was the only hope I really had while I was with Mandarin. I suppose the term "save" is a good term to describe what my son had done for me._ "Yeah, he found me and brought me home. For that I'm eternally grateful."

The woman smiled. "So you think he's a hero too!"

Howard gave a small smile back. He knew there was no way to get Tony out of the armor. Not without straining their relationship even farther. And there was a definite strain between them right now. So much had changed and neither father nor son knew how to fully adjust to that. Howard didn't agree with all Tony did and hated seeing him seem older than his years. And as much as he wanted to blame Mandarin and the armor, Howard had to accept his part in Iron Man's creation. If only he hadn't found that ring…

The young woman got up. "I've got to go Mr. Stark; nice meeting you! And the best of luck getting your company back."

"Thank you." Howard replied. He found that he meant it too. Because while it was a struggle right now to rebuild a relationship with Tony due to guilt and frustration, he realized that the woman was right about one thing.

"Howard Stark back, and skinnier then ever!" a familiar voice rang behind him and Howard grinned as he saw Tony finally walking towards him.

Howard knew the woman was right about Iron Man being a hero. He already knew that Tony was his hero before Iron Man had ever even been thought of. Now thanks to Iron Man, other people could see what a hero his son, Tony, was.


	3. Roberta Rhodes

"I was not expecting you to thank Iron Man in your speech."

Roberta Rhodes was typing up legal papers as Howard flipped through old notes on unfinished plans for inventions. It had been a comfortable silence for a while with the two of them working on their separate jobs. Their relationship as long- time friends allowed this type of peace between them. Two years apart hadn't changed that. At Roberta's comment though, Howard closed the journal and started to idly flip through another one.

"Why's that?" He asked.

"Well, weren't you just using him as an example to Tony as why slippery slopes were dangerous?" Roberta pointed out. "I had been under the impression that, despite the fact that he found and returned you home, you weren't exactly an Iron Man fan."

"I wouldn't describe myself as an Iron Man fan, but I can respect what he is trying to do and what he has come to stand for. And besides, I have no doubt that Iron Man is somehow at least partially responsible for that video feed that went out internationally of Justin Hammer. And thanks to that, I now have control of my company again. The least I can do is say thank you."

"Hmmm…" Roberta now stopped typing and looked at Howard. "So change of subject, how are you and Tony doing?"

"We are fi - we are trying to adjust to being together again." The man admitted. "Tony's still Tony, but there are times that I swear I just don't recognize him."

"Tony's not the only one who has changed." She got up and took the mug by Howard's hand. "Would you like more tea?"

"Ummm…" Howard started, clearly trying to process Roberta's changes in subjects. "Sure. I mean, yes please."

"You're more guarded Howard. You don't open up to people like you used to. Tony's always been that way but you were an open book before Mandarin." Roberta poured some hot water in the mug and grabbed a tea bag. "Tony had nightmares after the crash; probably still does occasionally. But you're also looking very tired; have you had trouble sleeping too?"

"I –."

"You're returning to how you were after Maria died." Roberta watched as Howard recoiled and screwed his eyes shut. "Tony needed you after that happened, so I can understand why you pushed your needs away. But things change, Howard. When we all thought you were dead, Tony was the most devastated. But you know what? He found the strength to move forward. Tony is the happiest he's been in the longest time. He has made friends and is becoming his own person."

Howard must have misunderstood her intentions, because the next thing she knew, the man was narrowing his eyebrows. "And me being back is interfering with that?"

"No!" Roberta quickly backtracked. That wasn't what she was trying to say at all. "You being back, well, that makes it even better for him. He has another chance with you that he didn't think he would get. But what I am saying is that Tony is now a young adult, quite a mature one most of the time. You don't need to hide your own feelings from him, Howard. He's mature enough to handle it. You both need to talk, adult to adult, about how you both are feeling. It will help you heal from the past two years."

"When he talks to me, it's about business or the daily stuff. There's still science talk, but it's rarely about his newest inventions. Not only that, but he's keeping secrets! Or, he's trying to. He's awful at lying."

"At least try." Roberta sighed. "And do you know something that I don't? I've gotten the feeling that the boys have been hiding something for the longest time."

"Maybe," he said in a tone of voice that clearly meant that he did indeed know something. Tony wasn't the only awful liar in his family.

"And?"

"James will tell you when he's ready, Roberta. Just like Tony will tell me when he's ready.

"I think it has something to do with Iron Man. Maybe Tony's his mechanic or something? That armor seems like something he would build. But then how James comes in all of this is beyond me… other than being secret keeper…"

"Perhaps."

"You're not going to confirm or deny anything I say, are you?"

"Exactly."

"Fine," Roberta closed her laptop and began to get up from the table. "But think about what I said about you and Tony talking. Things have changed. You need to know your child and your child wants to know you."

"I'll see what I can do, starting with dinner tonight. Hopefully we can actually sit down and eat together…" Howard stopped as he tuned into what the television was saying in the next room over. Roberta followed his lead and felt her mouth open and eyes grow wide.

"_This is just in. An explosion had taken place near the former Hammer International building. Police reports say that possible suspects include A.I.M. terrorists. Iron Man and War Machine were seen on the scene…"_

Shaking her head, Roberta sighed. "You would think that after nearly two years of this, I'd be used to hearing things like this."

"I guess I'm warming Tony's dinner in the microwave…"

Roberta was about to ask what that had to do with anything but knew Howard hadn't meant for her to hear his comment, so she kept silent. She poured herself a cup of tea and sat back down beside Howard, laptop and notes forgotten as the two concerned parents watched the latest newsbreak.

If Roberta had watched Howard, she would have seen him stiffen at the now familiar sight of red and gold flying across the screen. She would have noticed that her hands weren't the only ones shaking on her mug as they both took a huge sip of bitter liquid, trying to calm their nerves. After all, if Tony was just the mechanic and James was simply playing secret keeper then the boys weren't in any immediate danger.

Right?


	4. Pepper Potts

Talking had never been Howard's favorite past time. The man would much rather be in a lab building with metal and fire. He supposed it was part of way he and Tony got along so well- father and son were happy enough to spend time together in silence as their minds went wild with the possibilities.

James "Rhodey" Rhodes was not the biggest talker either. The young man had always used thought and care when he spoke. In a lot of ways, he has acted as Tony's guide and conscious when Howard wasn't around. It was something Howard admired greatly about his son's oldest and closest friend.

Patricia "Pepper" Potts, though was something else entirely. Howard had meant it when he said that he was looking forward to spending time with family and friends, old and new. Pepper was a new friend of Tony (for Howard at least) and it didn't take the man long to see that there was a potential for this friendship of becoming "more." All that was needed was the mention of her name, and Tony would light up in such a way Howard had never seen before. So when Pepper came into his lab one day looking for Tony, the father did the natural thing and invited her to stay until Tony came to meet him. It would give him the chance to get to know her more…

…And get to know her more, Howard did. What started out as a simple question of "what cha' doin'?" from Pepper somehow turned into the young woman telling him all of her various misadventures throughout her life. He actually stopped working on what he was working and sat down to get comfortable. Because Pepper Potts could talk and talk and _talk_ some more. And it was easier to understand the flood of information pouring out of her when he wasn't doing anything else.

He took little notes as he absorbed it all in. Pepper had endless _curiosity,_ as much of her tales were filled with investigations and mysteries of some sort. She was _energetic_, not only because of the endless tales she was narrating, but also because in both the tales and in person, Pepper wouldn't stop moving. Her being would illustrate her words as she spoke, adding more to a certain charm that she seemed to naturally have. Pepper was _caring,_ as was shown through her tone, words, and actions when she spoke of family, friends, and those of less fortune then herself. Her knowledge shone; she spoke of strategic thinking, scientific knowledge, and both political and law jargon.

But most of all, Pepper was _loyal_. Howard took note of how a sudden realization would come to her face when she came far too close to the subject of Iron Man and his civilian identity. She'd quickly jump to a new subject. By the time Howard could think of anything to say about the change, Pepper was already deep into the telling of the new subject. He took note of the times she spoke of refusing to leave the side of a loved one, family or friend. He took special note of the times that someone had been his son. And that was leaving out anything to do with Iron Man (or at least Pepper had masterfully skimmed the subject and focused on Tony. Howard was impressed). Still a part of him knew that there would be so much more to her tales if the subject of Iron Man was an open topic to discuss. As of that moment though, neither of them were revealing their knowledge of the vigilante's identity.

"… and that's the story of how Tony and I ended up at S.H.I.E.L.D. while we were out shopping for shoes – okay while _I_ was shopping for shoes…"

"Tony let you drag him out of the lab to shop for shoes?" Howard asked, amazed. Wow, his child had fallen very hard indeed…

"…and he compared me to _Whitney_ of all people…"

Howard held back a snort. Tony was brilliant; he'll change the world. In fact he was well on his way to making that change. But the young man never did have much common sense. To not mention the name of another girl while on a date – official or not - Howard thought would be a no brainer.

"The nerve of him," Howard couldn't hold back the smirk though.

"Well he did make it up to me when he called S.H.I.E.L.D after we ran like crazy from the insane armored Iron Man wannabe," Pepper shrugged her shoulders. "And I know he's not the most socially savvy guy around, so meh, I let certain things slide."

"I have to thank you for that, for being such an understanding friend to Tony these past two years," Howard said. "I know he's not the easiest person to be around."

The red haired girl shifted a little, not quite sure how to take the sudden compliment. "Well, despite any flaws he might have, Tony's a great friend himself. He's loyal to a fault and kind and super smart. He's also really brave and so handsome – gorgeous blue eyes… wait, I said that last part out loud did I?" Pepper realized, blushing. A moment later she must have realized something else because she blushed even more. The laughter inside of Howard was getting harder to ignore, his own blue eyes shining with mirth.

"You still have my gratitude, Pepper." Howard still had a smile on his face, hoping that she could see the warmth she had inspired in it. It was important she understood what she meant to his son and therefore to him. Even if she was a never- ceasing chatterbox.

Pepper shifted again, glancing quickly at the door. "Is Tony late again?"

Looking at his watch, Howard saw that it was half past noon. "Yep, that child of mine is late again."

Pepper just glanced at the door for a moment, then back at him. "Mr. Stark, in all honesty, do you approve of what Iron Man does?"

"Would the disapproval of an old CEO really stop him?" Another sudden change in subject; Howard was beginning to get use to them.

"Not an old CEO, no." answered Pepper slowly. "But Iron Man has rescued me quite a bit and we've talked and stuff. Not that I'm a damsel in distress or anything. And he's really brave and smart and …"

"Pepper," Howard's tone was gentle, but he needed to stop the off track rant before it could begin.

"Er, sorry. Anyway, Iron Man just really respects you, and looks up to you! I mean, you're Howard Stark, the inventor making the world a better place with technology. And he's told me that is what he wants to do with his suit…"

She was talking really fast again. Howard was internally debating if he should just give up on his charades and tell his son's not- yet- but- probably- soon- will- be- girlfriend that he knew. Then she wouldn't have to work so hard to try and keep Iron Man and Tony separate. But, Howard hadn't told Tony that he knew. It seemed a bit unfair to him to let Pepper know before Tony. And he was still hoping that Tony would just come out on his own. Poor girl was probably trying to figure out what Howard knew and how he felt, for Tony's sake. She seemed to be the type to try.

"I thanked Iron Man in my press conference after I got Stark International," Howard reminded her. "And I never reprimanded him for his actions afterwards. I don't always agree with his decisions, but I admire him for what he stands for and fights for." Now he was starting to feel like a broken record. How many people has he said something along the same lines to now? "And, if I were Iron Man's parent, I'd be very proud of him." There, Pepper would tell Tony that at the very least. If Tony wouldn't trust him with Iron Man, then he'll just have to find other ways to reach out.

"Oh…" Pepper glanced at the door again and Howard agreed with her unspoken sentiment; really where was Tony? Half an hour late was a little ridiculous…that is if he wasn't hurt from flying off to stop some robbery or something…"I'm sure Tony will be glad…"

Howard blinked and looked at the girl. She had said that final sentence almost under her breath; Howard wasn't supposed to have heard it at all. In fact, he doubted she realized the words came out of her mouth at all.

"Hey Dad! Sorry I'm late… Pepper, what are you doing here?"

Tony finally appeared at the door and was now looking at Pepper, his eyes lit up in that way Howard was adjusting to whenever the subject of Pepper was involved. Perhaps he should just call Roberta and see if she already had lunch… or maybe he could steal James…

"I just came to see if you were with your dad. You weren't in you lab and it's Saturday. I wanted to hang out…"

"Go Tony, have fun. We'll have lunch together another time," Howard said.

Tony's eyes widened. "Ummm… but I've missed so many other meetings and lunches and am late again…"

"Exactly why I'm telling you that it's okay to miss this one. So go and enjoy yourselves. And behave." Howard wouldn't be a good parent if he didn't add that last part. He got up and grabbed a phone. "I'll see if the Rhodes are still hungry."

"Okay," Tony replied, still looking at his father surprised. "So, um, how does the restaurant down the street sound, Pep? It's on me."

"Yeah, sounds great!" replied Pepper. "You'll never guess the case my father got recently…" Howard took note that Tony wasn't the only one with the "look" in his eyes.

"Considering how he works for the FBI, isn't that the point?" laughed Tony. Howard watched as his son walked out with his friend, who was apparently telling him all about her father's case, regardless whether or not it was classified information. He wondered if it was somehow connected to any Iron Man business, but he shook his head and dialed. He was quickly growing fond of the girl, he even thought that she was a keeper, but it'd be nice to have some quiet company for a while.

"Hey Roberta," Howard greeted over the phone, "I was wondering if you and or James would like to have a late lunch. Tony is with Pepper…"


	5. Rhodey Rhodes

"So what do you plan to do after you graduate, Rhodey?"

Howard Stark and James "Rhodey" Rhodes were sitting at the local café, enjoying a calm lunch. Roberta already had eaten, but she sent her son out to have some "guy time" with the CEO of Stark International. Rhodey had happily agreed. He would never admit it, but Mr. Stark was like a second father to him. His own was often not home due to being active in the air force. Yet somehow, despite being an important business man and a single father, Mr. Stark was there when Rhodey needed an older male to talk to.

So the man's "death" had been hard on him. Not as tough as it was on Tony, but still to the point where the stages of grief had taken their toll on him. He had to be strong though, for Tony. So he was. And the day when Rhodey found out that Howard Stark was actually alive and well, he had to remind himself to let Tony be the one to run up to the man and hug him. Even if Tony technically already saw him as Iron Man, that didn't count, not with Mr. Stark not knowing.

"I was thinking about the air force, or ESU," Rhodey replied. "Or perhaps have the air force pay for my schooling at ESU."

"Want to follow your old man ah? He must be proud."

"Yeah, yeah he is," Rhodey agreed. Sargent Rhodes may never be home, but the Rhodes family often chatted online or on the phone whenever he could find the time. Rhodey had expressed his plans to his father one time this past year and though surprised, Rhodey's father had been very supportive. Now that Mr. Stark also seemed on board with it too, Rhodey's decision just felt even more right. "I mean, yes he is, sir."

The older man smiled in understanding. Titles such as "Mr." and "sir" were practically inbred into Rhodey at a young age, being a part of a military family. One of the things that threw him off when he first met Tony at a young age was when he had called his mother "Roberta" and later his father "David." He was thrown even more off when Mr. Stark told him that he could call him Howard. Their families had talked, and at the end of the day allowances were made. Howard was Mr. Stark or Sir while to Tony the adult Rhodes were Roberta and David.

Good memories…

"What do you plan on studying?" Mr. Stark continued. Rhodey frowned and shook his head. "I'm not sure yet. That's one thing Tony and I have in common right now. Pepper's kind of lucky that she knows that she's going to need a degree like law to get into SHIELD." He decided not to add that Tony wasn't even sure if he wanted to go to school yet, or if he wanted to just work for a bit. He had a feeling that that discussion was still a "coming soon!" type of discussion between father and son. Of course there was that offer from SHIELD and his work as Iron Man…

Yeah, Rhodey hoped that discussion was still a while a ways though. The instant Mr. Stark knew about Iron Man, he'd know about War Machine. Then his mom would find out and Rhodey would have to run for his life.

"History would be interesting though," the young man finally said. "And maybe some physics courses so I could understand more physics talk."

"Don't feel pressured to take those courses, Rhodey. You and Tony are separate people with separate gifts." Mr. Stark gently said.

"Yeah, but with an Iron Man flying about chasing after high tech villains, it seems to be a must in this city…" eyes widening a little, Rhodey looked at the older man. He then took a big bite of his BLT sandwich. Honestly, that was the last subject they needed to talk about! He was usually more careful with his words.

Mr. Stark nodded, not questioning the young man's sudden stuffing of his mouth. "Must be scary, with all this high tech literally flying around."

"Not really sir. Not with Iron Man on the case… and War Machine. Especially War Machine."

"Of course," laughed the CEO, "we can't possibly forget War Machine."

And their lunch continued. Mr. Stark was a very good listener, knowing when his advice was wanted and when to just simply listen. Rhodey was glad to have someone to confide in of how he hoped his father would make it in time for his graduation at the end of the year. And despite of his decent grades, how nerve wrecking the college applications and acceptance/ rejection letters seemed. It was nice, having a physical male presence to talk to about the everyday normal things in life. No crazy villains to keep watch for or upgrades on the armor to test out. No need to really worry about his genius, heroic friend with no common sense. Just normal.

"It's good to have you back Mr. Stark."

Howard Stark smiled, "And I'm glad to be back."

**AN: So not a really in depth conversation between father and son's male best friend…about Iron Man at least. I don't know, I kind of had trouble envisioning a deep conversation between Rhodey and Howard about it. I just remembered that Rhodey's father never appeared on the show and then a mention of how Mr. Rhodes was in the air force (made up the rank though) and I wondered how Mr. Stark fit into his life because of it. Then Howard Stark "dies" and is found alive again, and Rhodey's life has been crazy with his best friend risking his life fighting thugs in armor. I figured Rhodey needed a normal conversation with a male adult he trusts and looks up to. **


End file.
